End closure feeding apparatus



y 1, 1966 E. w. DE GEAR 3,253,722

END CLOSURE FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 4. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. 23 www Mil/4M A? 6277/? 'llmililllllllll By 32 3d 7;. QM

May 31, 1966 E. w. DE GEAR END CLOSURE FEEDING APPARATUS 2 SheetsSheet 2Filed Dec. 4, 1963 INVENTOR. 5mm? M1 min/2am FZMJQQ;

17 14 FIG. 4

United States Patent 3,253,722 END CLOSURE FEEDING APPARATUS EdwardWilliam De Gear, San Jose, Calif., assignor to American Can Company, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 4, 1963, Ser. No.327,889 Claims. (Cl. 214-85) The present invention relates to apparatusfor handling end closures for containers or the like and moreparticularly to apparatus for feeding end closures from a plurality ofstacks to a transfer means at high speed and with a minimum of damagethereto.

With the recent development of extremely high speed operation of canclosing 'or end seaming machines, the feeding of end closures at highspeeds has become a problem. At the speeds of operation involved, whichin some instances substantially exceed 1000 ends/minute, there is theever present possibility that when the ends are fed from a stack, thehigh speed contact between moving parts of the feeding apparatus and thestationary end closures will cause nicking or other curl damage to theend closures which will interfere with the seaming operation.

The general purpose of the instant invention, therefore, is to providean apparatus for feeding end closures at high speeds in a manner suchthat there is little possibility of damage to the end closures. This isaccomplished by utilizing an end feeding mechanism which comprises apair of end closure supply stacks which are diametrically disposed withrespect to a delivery turret. The delivery turret comprises a drivenplanet carrier carrying a plurality of rotatable planetary gears whichmesh with a stationary sun gear. Each of the planetary gears haseccentrically mounted thereon a feed pin or pusher for engaging andremoving an end closure from its associated stackand conveying the endclosure in an accurate path to subsequently discharge the end into anadjacent transfer means leading to the end seaming or closing station.The epicyclic path of each eccentric feed pin is so arranged relative tothe transfer means that the feed pin is moving at a reduced or medialspeed when it engages an and closure, and the feed pin and itsassociated end closure. are moving at a maximum Velocity at the point ofdischarge from the delivery turret to the transfer means. Thus, thepossibility of damage to the end closure is minimized since they areoriginally engaged at a reduced speed, and then are accelerated to thehighest possible speed just prior to their discharge to the transfermeans.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus forfeeding end closures at high speeds with little possibility of damage tothe end closures.

A further object is to provide an end feeding device wherein the endsare alternately removed from dual stacks by feed pin devices which arecarried on a single rotary planet carrier in such manner that the speedof rotation of the carrier need only be half of that which would berequired in the event only a single stack were employed, therebyreducing the speed of impact between the feed pins and the ends and thusreducing the possibility of damage to the ends.

Another object is the provision of such an apparatus wherein the endclosures are picked up at a speed which 3,253,722 Patented Ma 31, 1966is less than the discharge speed to thereby reduce the initial impactforce between the feeding apparatus and the end closures.

A further object is to provide a high speed apparatus for safelyengaging and feeding end closures from a plurality of stacks thereof.

A still further object is the provision of such an apparatus wherein theend closures are engaged by eccentrically mounted means at a reducedspeed and then are accelerated to a maximum speed at the point ofdischarge from the feeding apparatus.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings: 7

FIG. 1 isa top plan view, with parts broken away and parts in section,of an apparatus constructed according to the principles of the instantinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, with parts broken away, taken substantiallyalong line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a developed, elevational view of a portion of the dependinghousing flange and guide channels therein shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, partsbeing broken away and parts being shown in section;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the paths of both the planetarygears and the eccentric pushers or feed pins mounted thereon, whichparts are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the separator screw of the instantmechanism.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of themstant invention,-FIGS. 1and 2 illustrate a feeding device which utilizes two stacks A and B ofcontainer end closures C which are supported between inclined parallel'rods 10 and 11, respectively. The supporting rods 10 and 11 aresupported on the top plate 12 of a generally circular housing 13 whichis in turn rigidly attached to a supporting frame F in any suitablemanner. The top plate 12 is formed with a pair of circular openings 14,15 through which the stacks A and B, respectively, pro ject (see FIG.4).

The housing 13 also includes a depending flange 16 which is providedwith a first guide channel 17 and a second guide channel 18 which areformed in the interior surface thereof.

The first guide channel 17 begins at the base of the stack B and extendsaround the flange 16 to the area at which the ends C are discharged fromthe feed mechanism, as will be hereinafter explained.

The second guide channel 18 begins at the base of the stack A at thelevel of the first channel 17 and is formed with a depressed portion 19which passes beneath the first guide channel 17 and then inclinesupwardly and merges into the latter at 21 as seen in FIG. 4.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the first guide channel 17 provides a supportfor the outer portion of the lowermost end C in the stack B, while thesecond guide channel 18 in similar manner supports the outer portion ofthe lowermost end C in the stack A.

therewith which is rigidly mounted on a suitable support means (notshown). A gear 30 is rigidly attached to the lower end of the shaft 22and is in engagement with a driving gear 32 that is driven by anysuitable driving means such as a motor (not shown).

A sun gear 34 is rigidly mounted on the outer surface of the stationarybearing member 26 adjacent the upper end thereof. Four identicalplanetary gears 36, 37, 38 and 39 of the same size as the sun gear 34are disposed approximately 90 apart and are in engagement with the sungear 34. Each of the planetary gears 36 through 39 and the sun gear 34have a one-to-one gear ratio, with the result that each planetary gearrotates 360 about its own central axis for each complete revolutionaround the sun gear 34. Each of the planetary gears 36 through 39 hasrigidly attached thereto or integral therewith a downwardly extendingshaft 40 which is rotatably mounted on a planetcarrier 41 which is inturn rotatably mounted on the outer surface of the stationary bearingmember 26 below the sun gear 34.

A gear 42 is keyed to the lower end of the planet carrier 41 and is inengagement with a driving gear 44 which preferably is driven by the samedriving means or motor (not shown) as that for the driving gear 32,although a separate driving means may be provided for each of the gears32 and 44. The relative sizes and ratios of the gears 30, 32 and 42, 44are such that the shaft 22 rotates through two revolutions for every onerevolution of the planet carrier 41. Thus, the separator screw which isrigidly attached to the shaft 22 travels through two revolutions forevery one revolution of the planetary gears 36 through 39 around thestationary sun gear 34.

As shown in FIG. 2 (and in broken lines in FIG. 1), the upper portion ofthe stationary sun gear 34 is provided with a radially extending flange46 which defines an annular support ledge 47 on the upper surfacethereof. The flange 46 is provided with a portion 43 which extendsradially outwardly a greater distance than the major portion of theflange 46 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The separator screw 20 has a helical thread or groove 45 on the outersurface thereof in which the inner portion of the lowest end closure Cof each of the stacks A and B is disposed and supported. The helicalthread i 45 leads into a spiral groove 53 which at its bottom end opensonto the support ledge 47 (see FIG. 6). Thus, each time the separatorscrew 20 makes a full rotation beneath the stacks A and B, the-lowermostend closure C in each stack is cut out from the bottom of the stack andforced into the spiral groove 53, the momentum of each end closure C andthe force of gravity thereafter causing the closure to drop through thespiral groove 53 and onto the ledge 47 in horizontal position, as seenat the right of FIG. 2. The separator screw 20 is of a type which isdisclosed in the United States patent to Pe-chy 2,750,913, issued June19, 1956. a

Each of the planetary gears 36, 37, 38 and 39 has eccentrically mountedthereon an upwardly extending feed pin or pusher 48, 49, 50 and 51,respectively, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each of the feed pins 48through 51 extends upwardly from its respective planetary gear apredetermined distance which allows the pin to engage an end closure Cwhen the inner portion thereof has been lowered onto the support ledge47 of the sun gear flange 46 by the separator screw 20, and whichpermits each feed pin to clear or pass under the lowest end C of each ofthe stacks A and B when the inner portion of the lowest end C issupported on'the helical thread 45 of the separator screw 20 (see FIG.2).

FIG. 5 illustrates the path 54 of the planetary gears 36 through 39 andthe path 56 of the eccentrically mounted feed pins 48 through 51 withrespect to the center 52 of the shaft 22. I Since the speed of each ofthe feed pins 48 through 51 is a function of its radial distancefrom thecenter of rotation 52, each feed pin is traveling at maximum speed whenit occupies the position of the feed pin 51, shown in FIGS. 3 and 5,wherein the feed pin 51 is at the maximum radial distance from thecenter of rotation 52. Similarly, when each feed pin reaches theposition of the feed pin 49 (FIGS. 3 and 5), it is traveling at minimumspeed since it is at the smallest radial distance from the center ofrotation 52. When each of the feed pins 48 through 51 is at the positionof the pins 48 and 50, therefore, it is traveling at a speed which isbetween the maximum and minimum speeds.

A transfer turret 58 or other means of receiving the end closures Cwhich are removed from the stacks A and B, is disposed adjacent thedepending flange portion 14 of the housing 12 at apoint where each ofthe feed pins 48 through 51 reaches maximum velocity, namely, theposition of the feed pin 51 in FIGS. 3 and 5. The turret 58 is providedwith pockets 60 which are indexed with the feed pins 48 through 51 toreceive therein end closures C which are being advanced at maximumvelocity by the feed pins 48 through 51. 'As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, aguide member 62 is provided to retain the ends C in the pockets 60.

In operation, the rotating separator screw 20 makes two revolutions forevery one revolution of the planetary gears 36 through 39 around thestationary sun gear 34, as hereinbefore described. Since the helicalthread 45 of the separator screw 20 is so constructed to remove one endclosure C from each of the stacks A and B for each revolution of theseparator screw 20', during one revolution of the planetary gears 36through 39 around the stationary sun gear 34, the separator screw 20makes two revolutions and thus removes two ends C from each stack A andB. In addition, owing to the identical size and one-to-one gear ratio ofthe planetary gears 36 through 39 and the stationary sun gear 34, eachof the eccentrically mounted feed pins 48 through 51 rotates 360 aroundthe center of its respective planetary gear for each revolution of theplanetary gear around the stationary sun gear 34.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the rotation of the separator screw 20 istimed or indexed with the rotation of the planetary gears 36 through 39such that an end C is dropped from the stack B onto the supporting ledge47 of the sun gear flange 46 just pior to the time that each of the feedpins 48 and 50 on the planetary gears 36 and 38, respectively, reach thestack B. Similarly, the helical thread 45 of the separator screw 20causes an end C to drop from the stack A onto the supporting ledge 47 ofthe flange 46 just prior to the time that the feed pins 49 and 51 on theplanetary gears 37 and 39, respectively, reach the stack A. Thus, thefeed pin 48 on the planetary gear 36 passes under the stack A, while thefeed pin 50 on the diametrically opposed planetary gear 38 engages theseparated end closure C from stack B on the support ledge 47 of the sungear flange 46 (see FIG. 2). At the same time, the feed pin 49 on theplanetary gear 37 is in engagement with and is advancing an end C on thesupport ledge 47 which was previously separated from the stack A by thehelical thread 45 of the separator screw 20, and the feed pin 51 on thediametrically opposed planetary gear 39 is advancing an end C,previously separated from the stack A, into one of the pockets 60 of thetransfer turret 58.

When the planetary gears 36 through 39 have rotated in acounter-clockwise direction from the positions shown in FIG. 3, theseparator screw 20 has rotated approximately 180 so that the helicalthread 45 thereon causes the bottorn'end C of the stack A to drop ontothe support ledge 47 of the sun gear flange 46, and the feed pin 51 isadvanced to the position of the'feed pin 48 in FIG. 3 wherein the pin 51engages the end C which has dropped from the stack A onto the supportledge 47. Also, after the 90 of rotation, the feed pin 48 is advanced tothe position of the feed pin 49 in FIG. 3 wherein the pin 48 is withoutan end closure C since the feed pin 48 has passed under the stack A asshown in FIG. 2; the feed pin 49 is advanced to the position of the feedpin 50 in FIG. 3 wherein the end closure C in engagement with the pin 49has the outer portion thereof disposed in the depressed portion 19-ofthe guide channel 18 in the flange portion 16 of the housing 13, so thatthe last mentioned end closure C is advanced under the stack B (see FIG.4); and at the same time, the feed pin 50 is advanced to the position ofthe feed pin 51 in FIG. 3 wherein its respective end closure C supportedon the ledge portion 43 is discharged into a pocket 60 of the transferturret 58.

After approximately 180 of counter-clockwise rotation of the planetarygears 36 through 39 from the position shown in FIG. 3, the separatorscrew has rotated 360 to again cause the lowest end closure C to dropfrom the stack B onto the support ledge 47 of the sun gear flange 46,and the feed pin 48 is advanced to the position of the feed pin in FIG.3 wherein it engages the end C which has dropped from the stack B. Also,the feed pin 49 is advanced to the position of the feed pin 51 in FIG. 3wherein it discharges its respective end C into a pocket of the transferturret 58; the feed pin 50 is in the position of the feed pin 48 shownin FIG. 3 wherein it is disposed adjacent to and below the stack A, andthe feed pin 51 is advanced to the position of the feed pin 49 in FIG. 3wherein it is in engagement with and is advancing an end C from thestack A.

Thus, it will be readily seen that the separator screw 20 continuouslyseparates or drops ends C from the stacks A and B, and that the feedpins 49 and 51 continuously engage and advance the separated ends C fromstack A, while the feed pins 48 and 50 continuously engage and advanceseparated ends C from stack B. Because the ends C from stack A aredisposed in the depressed portion 19 of channel 18 rather than in thechannel 17 of flange 16 as they pass the'stack B, there is nointerference between ends from the different stacks A and B.

Since, as hereinbefore described, the radial distance of each of thefeed pins 48 through 51 from the center 52 of the shaft 22 varies as theplanetary gears 36 through 39 travel around the stationary sun gear 34,the speed of each of the feed pins 48 through 51 varies in accordancewith its radial distance from the center of rotation 52 as it travelsthereabout. Thus, when each of the feed pins 48 through 51 is at theposition of the feed pin 49 in FIG. 3, it is traveling at minimum speedsince it is at the smallest radial distance from the center 52 of theshaft 22. Similarly, when each of the feed pins 48 through 51 is at theposition of the pin 51 in FIG. 3, it is traveling at a maximum speedsince it is at the greatest radial distance from the center 52; and,when each of the feed pins 48 through 51 is at the position of eitherthe pin 48 or the pin 50 in FIG. 3, it is traveling at a speed which isgreater than that of the pin 49 but less than that of the pin 51.

It will be understood, therefore, that the end closures C which areremoved from the stack A and engaged by the feed pins 49 and 51, areinitially engaged by these feed pins at a medial speed, then deceleratedto the minimum speed and finally accelerated to the maximum speed asthey are transferred to the pockets 60 of the transfer turret 58.Similarly, when the end closures C are removed from the stack B, theyare initially engaged by the fed pins 48 and 50 at a medial speed andthen they are accelerated in a counter-lockwise direction to the maximumspeed, at which latter speed the ends C from stack B are discharged intothe pocket 60 of the transfer turret 58. Since the end closures C fromthe stacks A and B are initially engaged by their respective feed pinsat a speed which is less than the maximum speed, there is lesspossibility of damage to the end closures from the impact force of thefeed pins. Subsequent to the initial engagement of the ends C by thefeed pins 48 through 51, the feed pins then are accelerated to maximumspeed as they are adjacent the transfer turret 58. Thus, the ends C areinserted into the pockets 60 of the transfer turret 58 at maximum speedto thereby provide safe, high speed transfer of the ends C from thestacks A and B to the transfer turret 58. v

The instant apparatus obviously may be used for feeding many types ofarticles other than end closures for containers, and it may be used forfeeding articles from a single stack or from a number of stacks inexcess of two, With011t departing from the scope of the instantinvention.

It is thought that the invention and many. of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for feeding container end closures at high speed from apair of substantially diametrically opposed stacks thereof to apredetermined point, comprising a rotatable separator screw having ahelical thread on the outer surface thereof on which the lower-most endclosure ofeach stack is partially supported, said thread being soconstructed that the lowermost end closure drops from each stack duringeach revolution of said separator screw, means for supporting said endclosures after the dropping thereof from the stacks, and feeding meansrota-ting in a predetermined timed relationship with said separatorscrew for engaging the dropped end closures on said supporting means ata first speed and for accelerating said dropped end closures to a secondand higher speed as they are advanced on said supporting means to saidpredetermined point, said feeding means comprising four planetary gearsin engagement with and equally spaced around a stationary sun gear, eachof said planetary gears having end closure engaging means thereon andmaking one revolution around said sun gear for each two revolutions ofsaid separator screw.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said end closure engaging meanscomprises upwardly extending feed pin which is eccentrically mounted oneach of said planetary gears, the upper end of each of the feed pinsbeing disposed above said dropped end closure and below said lowest endclosures of each of said stack-s.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said supporting means is constructedso that the dropped end closure from one of said stacks passes under theother of said stacks when it is advanced on said supporting means by oneof said feed pins.

4. Apparatus for feeding articles at high speed from a stack thereof toarticle transfer means, comprising a rotatable separator screw having ahelical thread on the outer surface thereof in which a portion of thelowermost article in the stack is disposed, at predetermined rotation ofsaid separator screw serving to separate said lowermost article from thestack through said helical thread, and feeding means rotating in apredetermined timed relationship with said separator screw for engagingeach separated article at a first speed which avoids damage to thearticle and for advancing and accelerating the article to a second speedfor discharge to the article transfer means, said feeding meanscomprising a plurality of planetary gears, each of which has a feed pineccentrically mounted thereon which is adapted to engage a separatedarticle.

plurality of stacks thereof to article transfer means, comprisingrotatable separator means on which the lowermost article of each stackis partially mounted, said separator means causing the lowermost articlefrom each stack to drop therefrom after a predetermined rotationthereof, means for supporting articles after they have dropped from thestacks, and feeding means rotating in a predetermined timed relationshipwith said separator means for engaging said dropped articles at a firstspeed and for accelerating said dropped articles to a second and higherspeed as they are advanced on said supporting means to the articletransfer means, said feeding means comprising a plurality of planetarygears which are in engagement With a stationary sun gear, each of saidplanetary gears 11 having an upwardly extending feed pin eccentricallymounted thereon which is positioned to engage a dropped article.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Blankenhorn221-222 X Loweree 198-22 Echols 221-116 X Guenther 198-22 Douglass221-290 X Stover' 221-277 Smith 221-222 Jaskowiak 133-4 Osmond 221-222Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. MORRIS TEMIN, Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CONTAINER END CLOSURES AT HIGH SPEED FROM A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED STACKS THEREOF TO A PREDETERMINED POINT, COMPRISIING A ROTATABLE SEPARATOR SCREW HAVING A HELICAL THREAD ON THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF ON WHICH THE LOWERMOST END CLOSURE OF EACH STACK IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED, SAID THREAD BEING SO CONSTRUCTED THAT THE LOWERMOST END CLOSURE DROPS FROM EACH STACK DURING EACH REVOLUTION OF SAID SEPARATOR SCREW, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID END CLOSURES AFTER THE DROPPING THEREOF FROM THE STACKS, AND FEEDING MEANS ROTATING IN A PREDETERMINED TIMED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SEPARATOR SCREW FOR ENGAGING THE DROPPED END CLOSURES ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AT A FIRST SPEED AND FOR A ACCELERATING SAID DROPPED END CLOSURES TO A SECOND AND HIGHER SPEED AS THEY ARE ADVANCED SO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO SAID PREDETERMINED POINT, SAID FEEDING MEANS COMPRISING FOUR PLANETARY GEARS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH AND EQUALLY SPACED AROUND A STATIONARY SUN GEAR, EACH OF SAID PLANETARY GEARS HAVING END CLOSURE ENGAGING MEANS THEREON AND MAKING ONE REVOLUTION AROUND SAID SUN GEAR FOR EACH TWO REVOLUTIONS OF SAID SEPARATOR SCREW. 